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Background Soil is a foremost provider of (agro-)
ecosystem services, making plant-soil interactions
pivotal in agriculture research. The functioning of
soils entails complex interactions between soil biota
and the abiotic soil environment and is therefore often
considered as a ‘black box’. The study of Verbruggen
et al. (this volume) tries to crack the black box open
by examining the role of soil microbial communities
from conventional and organic farming fields
for the growth of Zea mays and phosphorous
retention in the soil.
Scope In this commentary on the paper of Verbruggen
et al. (2011) we use the study to illustrate that
investigating soils, and specifically the role of soil
biota in ecosystem functioning, is not straightforward,
given the overwhelming soil biodiversity and the
complexity of soil as a habitat. We discuss the key
elements that need to be considered in order to
translate results of highly controlled experiments with
inoculated soil biota to their functioning in the field.
Conclusions Verbruggen et al. contribute to our
understanding of the functional role of AMF in
agro-ecosystems. Yet the results only allow us to
merely speculate about the realized functional role of
AMF communities in the field, a very interesting
avenue for future research